Chandrea: The
Return of the Avatar Queen
by Marlene
Wynn
Book
Description:
Chandrea Averill
thinks she’s just like any other normal young woman. But, on the day of her 23rd birthday, her
life changes forever. Surrounded by
magical creatures, dangerous sorcery, and insidious political intrigue, Chandrea
desperately wants to return to Earth and the only life she’s ever known. But, the longer she stays, the more she
realizes that she may be the only one with the power – both magical and
political – to save the people of Lyrunia.
Will she find
the courage to remain and fight for her home world?
Excerpt from Chandrea: The Return of the Avatar Queen
Prologue
The
assassination changed everything.
On the day Crown Princess Chandrea Averill was
born, the entire Kingdom of Averill celebrated. The streets of Cellia, her
capital city, were overflowing with people honoring the birth of the new heir. Food
and drink were plentiful and the mood of those gathered was joyous. Songs and
laughter echoed gaily off the walls of the great stone buildings.
Those in the know speculated on what powers the
crown princess would eventually develop, as no female born of the queen’s
lineage ever had the same powers as those who came before her. The form and
strength of the magic varied from female to female, but – without fail – magic
was present in some form.
The merrymaking went on for hours into the
night, and all at the Llireva Palace celebrated. Wrinkled old men sat in the
corners, smoking their pipes and spinning grand and fanciful tales of the
Averill family. Small children gathered at their feet, listening raptly to
tales of magic and bravery. Gaily dressed dancers spun and swirled as the eager
audience clapped to the rhythm. Jewels glittered and gleamed in the warm
candlelight as they moved, dazzling the eye.
As the night eased into the early morning hours,
those who should’ve retired long ago still remained. Sleepy-eyed and =yawning,
they nevertheless continued with the celebration even as the moon set on the
horizon and dawn approached. Drinks were handed out generously, and drunken,
happy people roamed the palace. Staggering about, their laughter filled the
hallways of the grand palace. Guards became lackadaisical about their duties,
laughing and drinking with their friends as they came wandering by.
This made the attack on the Llireva Palace and those
inside exceedingly simple.
The assault was ruthlessly calculated and
seamless. Having been there for hours, posing as drunken guests, the invaders
easily overtook and dispatched the inebriated guards. Thousands of the enemy
swarmed over the palace, slaughtering all in sight, whether guest or staff.
Swords and knives flashed in the candlelight, and terror-filled screams filled
the warm night air.
Taken
completely by surprise, the guests and staff were easily overcome. Some tried
to fight back, but were ruthlessly cut down where they stood. Stepping
carelessly over the bloodied bodies of the dead, hard-faced officers ordered
their men to look for the king, queen, and the newly-born crown princess. The
enemy soldiers scattered, each keen to be the one to find the royal family and
draw first blood.
One loyal servant – Adelaide – was tasked with
caring for the new crown princess while the queen recovered. Like the queen,
Adelaide was a powerful sorceress, and served in the capacity of royal advisor
and friend to the queen.
After giving birth, the queen had been exhausted
and was resting peacefully in her chambers, while the king attended to her.
Princess Chandrea was in the nursery, being cared for by Adelaide. So, when the
assassination of the king and queen occurred, the princess was nowhere to be
found. Enemy soldiers then spread out in search of the newborn.
Unknown to the intruders, in the days prior to
her birth, protective spell webs had been cast by Adelaide and the queen in the
hallways of the family wing. These spells prevented unauthorized access to the
nursery by causing an agonizing death. The magic also alerted the creator of
the spells of anyone entering the space. Unfortunately, the queen had been too
wearied and depleted from giving birth to act upon the warnings that had been
sent by her spells, and thus, she and the king soon perished. But Adelaide was
not at such a disadvantage. As the assailants crossed her protective spells,
she was alerted immediately by their piercing screams as the magic seared the
flesh from their bones.
Adelaide quickly picked up the baby, and with an
urgently muttered spell, opened a hidden passageway known only by the royal
family and their most trusted advisors. Slipping out of the nursery, she turned
and sealed the door with a wave of her hand, eliminating any chance that any
marauders lucky enough to have a sorceress strong enough to penetrate the
defensive spells could follow.
Rushing down the stairs, holding the princess
close to her bosom, she finally reached the bottom. There she entered the back
of a large cave. Moving quickly forward to the front, she found herself looking
out at the dark expanse of the Averill Bay, named after the royal family who
ruled the bordering land. She turned and gently laid the baby in a small
depression in the rock, sat beside her, and allowed herself to momentarily
succumb to her grief and fear. Adelaide knew that for the invading soldiers to
have gotten as far as her protective shields, they would have had to defeat the
queen first— and she would have been in no condition to fight them off.
Sitting quietly for a few moments to collect
herself and her thoughts, she was able to form a plan of action, and to gather
the resolve for what she knew would be required from her.
Taking a deep breath, she stood and faced the
now-orphaned crown princess lying on the rocks. Adelaide knew without a doubt
that if this tiny child were killed, all hope for Averill, and the surrounding
kingdoms and cities that made up Lyrunia, would be lost. The freedom and peace
they’d known under the reign of the Averill family and the Triad would make way
for a dark and violent time. Above all else, Princess Chandrea must survive not
only this night, but also grow safely to adulthood so that she could take her
rightful place on the throne.
Raising her hands into the air, Adelaide
urgently weaved them back and forth as she cast her spells. Many hours passed
as she chanted through the night, knowing that in the palace above her, an
intense search for the princess was being conducted, and that she and the baby
could be discovered at any time. Her voice grew hoarse and her arms weary, but
still she labored on, until, finally, only one more spell needed to be cast.
Sweat-soaked and exhausted, she reached down and
picked up Princess Chandrea. Expecting that this would be the last time she
held this dear, tiny child, Adelaide cuddled her close for a few moments. Then,
looking at the precious little wrinkled face, she gazed directly into the
princess’s eyes, and cast her last spell.
Bright, white light blazed forth from the
infant, transforming the cave into a dazzling, glittering chamber. Princess
Chandrea slowly rose from Adelaide’s hands until she hung suspended in the air. The soft blanket covering her fell unnoticed to the floor. Adelaide’s hands
moved in harmony with her voice as she chanted the final spell that would
transport the crown princess from Itova—the world into which she’d been born—to
another one. The only place that she would truly be safe until she reached
adulthood and her powers had fully manifested.
Air swirled madly about the infant and the light
grew brighter and stronger. Then, with the sound of a massive thunderclap and a
final burst of brilliance, the crown princess vanished.
About the Author
Marlene Wynn is
a Utah native - fondly referred to as "Utonian" by a friend. She transplanted herself in 1992 from the
majestic Rocky Mountains to the beachy shores of sunny Virginia Beach, Virginia
and has been there ever since. Though
she has worked in the benefits field for several years, she finally worked up
the courage to chase her dream as an author.
Author Links:
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